


We are both shitty parents

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-06-28 23:33:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15717348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: Dipping my toe back into the pool.





	1. Chapter 1

Carol stomped along the track she was walking and looked at her compass again and then her map, she was frustrated, tired and needed a shower, she’d been alone for three days which felt like a month. She got it, she was a shitty parent and Sophia was a shitty daughter. 

 

Sophia had fallen in with a bad crowd and before Carol knew where she was she was in front of a local judge who sent them both on a two week break from everything to  a last chance. A last chance in the middle of nowhere. Now she was alone and her daughter was doing her own camp out thing alone somewhere. She had had enough… she just wanted out of here in one piece not eaten by wild animals or wild dogs… or chopped up by a mad person. Most of all she wanted a shower, a coffee and just to get out of the wilderness and go home to her own bed. Sophia was going to boarding school when they went home… no more chances for her.

 

Carol was there  for two weeks and Sophia was there until they broke her and she would never misbehave again. Carol felt like they broke her and they would never break her daughter, she was strong spirited and now they were both screwed.

 

She dropped a scowling Sophia off where she was supposed to go and spent two days with ten other apparently deadbeat parents learning about the woods and the wild and how to survive and were dropped off in different locations and they had to walk to a meeting point. Sleeping in the small putt tents and eat and drink and walk and think. She was over it the first day.

 

“This sucks…” She looked at her map again, only walking a few feet thinking she was going so off course. She was sure she was so far behind where she was supposed to be at this time because she was scared to take more than a few hundred yards without checking her compass again. About a mile away was a small pond or lake on her map she figured that she could walk there. It wasn’t too far out of her way and she to have a swim and freshen up.

 

She started heading towards the direction hoping it would only take her half an hour to get there. Maybe she could stay there the night and then start her long sorry trek out.

 

She never again was going to let Sophia get the better of her. Never again would she be subjected to this by the courts. She would let them send her fourteen year old to jail if she had too.

 

Carol rounded a rock and started stripping off her shoes and socks as she saw the small pond in front of her, she knew she must smell and she just wanted to get clean fast… and maybe then she could think about making a small fire on the water edge and boiling some water and cooking some food, not eating it cold like she had been. She dropped her huge pack that was too big for her small frame and stripped to her bra an underwear before walking slowly into the cold water.

  
  


“Um…” she heard a splash as a head popped up from under the water, she recognized one of the men who had been sent here with his fifteen year old son. They both wore the same bland face like they were mad and wanted to be anywhere else in the world. And it was all their parents fault.

 

Carol quickly dove into the water to cover her body, she come up feeling the cold go around her. It was refeshing after walking in the heat. She was so embarrassed in her bra and panties in the water in front of a man who was taking it all in looking her up and down. She knew that the lacy underwear set really wasn’t ideal for camping but in her defence she didn’t know she was going to be hiking she thought she was was going to be in a small group setting being lectured on being a good parent… not walking in the woods and camping.

 

“Um...hi.. Carol right?” he asked. “Nice dive…”

 

“Yeah… Daryl?” She swam over closer to him. He looked better than she remembered… he was one of the hotter dads in the group. She was the only mother there. Most of the dads looked like they had dad bods and were up themselves and their kids were off the rails because they were spoiled. Daryl if she remembered his name correctly was rocking a flat stomach and a few abs… not that she was watching the water drip down his body.

 

“You might want to stay there… I thought I was going to be alone….” He looked embarrassed carol looked through the clear water to see a naked body floating under the water. “I’m god… sorry.” He turned his back to her and started to head towards the dock. 

 

Carol shook her head and laughed she knew she shouldn’t but she couldn’t help it. She was the world's worst parent and now she was the world's worst person going swimming in her underwear and coming across someone who was swimming naked. Now she was so embarrassed she was laughing non stop it was a bad thing with her she laughed when she shouldn’t.

 

“I’m sorry.” She called out to the retreating back of the man. Daryl growled something at her as he heard her say turn her back as he got out of the water. She stole a sly look as he climbed out. Nice body glistening wet.

 

Carol looked away and concentrated washing the last few days dirt and grime off her body. She glanced towards where she thought Daryl had gone and she moved out of the water and dragged her bag over to where a few bushes were and changed her clothes into clean underwear and clean tee shirts and pants. She put her socks and boots back on and put her backpack onto her back.

 

“You wanna stay here tonight and eat?” a voice from the other side of the bush asked her. “You could wash out your clothes or something… its going to take a couple of days to hike out of here. I have enough food.”

 

“Um sure.”

 

“The old house might have some protection from the storm thats coming in tonight.” he told her.

 

“Storm?” Carol looked around at the clear blue sky, she thought he was kidding her. Trying to get her to stay the night. It really didn’t look like a storm to her. He pulled out his sleeping bag out of his gear and set about to put in up in the old ruined house. Carol pulled hers out and went about setting hers up in the other corner. 

 

“Yeah I gathered up some wood and caught a couple of rabbits and have some vegetables I’ve gathered do you want to have rabbit stew?” He said gesturing to the small fire he had going near the house. She followed him outside and started to pull out her dirty clothes to start to wash some of her socks and things in the water. At least she would have clean panties and socks if nothing else. There was the rest of the afternoon that looked like it was going to be hot and she still didn’t know if he was joking about the storm or not.

 

Carol thought about the freezed dried food in her pack she had been eating, Daryl’s dinner sounded like a much better option. Dinner with a stranger in the middle of nowhere. She nodded and they both went about their own business.

 

A few hours later they were sitting on the porch watching the rain come down, eating the food that Daryl had cooked. Carol was pleased she had stumbled across Daryl because if she hadn’t she would be stuck under a tree with her tent wrapped around her trying to keep dry.

 

“How did you know it was going to rain? I would have been stuck in my tent somewhere for days.” 

 

“I like the camping in the bush, been camping since I was a kid. I know the signs of when the weather is changing.” He gestured to his surroundings. He reached into his pack and pulled out a hip flask of rum and nodded towards it if she wanted to drink or not. She nodded that she would have some. “Didn’t know we would be camping so brought something to drink incase I was stuck inside every night doing bookwork homework for looking after naughty teens.”

 

Carol swallowed down a generous helping of straight rum. He looked at her and refilled her tin cup that last chance had provided her. 

 

Carol ate a little more and put her plate down resting one elbow on her knee, “So what did they get you for? Your kid?” She asked him..

 

“Technically he’s not mine, he works at my shop after school. Kinda took him under my wing. He’s been in and out of foster care for years and I found him hiding out the back of my shop one night. So now he’s with me until whenever. I’m his foster dad I suppose. He’s tried to legally be on his own but he got into some trouble. And here we are.”

 

“On Judge Greene's boot camp.” Carol said. Daryl just nodded.

 

“Keeping him out of juvie…. It's not really his fault. He bounced around. I know what that's like.” Daryl said. “Max deserves a chance. If I have to hang out in the middle of nowhere that's ok… What about your girl?”

  
  


Carol gave him a half nod and didn’t say anything for a moment.

 

“Her Dad and I fell separated when she was two. I guess we got a bit lax thinking she was ok. And she got picked up stealing…” Carol raised her eyes looking at him. “It wouldn’t be so bad but Judge Greene is her Grandad of sorts. My ex is the county sheriff and he blames me for her misbehaving.”

 

“Oh shit… hard times.”

 

“I know, so Rick… thats my ex wanted her to learn her lesson and the hard thing is that I need to do this course… and now its raining and I’m stuck out here in the middle of nowhere.” Carol said. “Getting drunk with a stranger and I guess I’m a great role model.” She downed the rest of her cup and held her hand out for him to fill her up.

 

“At least you’re not alone.”

 

“Out there in the rain…. Thanks for stopping me from leaving and being out there in that…”

 

They sat in silence for a long time. Drinking and talking watching the rain, the the thunder and lightning start. Carols eyes glanced around the room and before she knew what she was doing she was basically in Daryl’s lap with her face in his shoulder.

 

“I take it you don’t like storms.” He muttered.

 

“My parents died in a storm like this when I was ten. A tree come down on the car… I was in the back…” Carol squeaked again.

 

“I’m sorry…” he said quietly. “It will be ok… lets take your mind off it…”

 

“Doing what?”

 

“For a start… I’m another bottle of rum in my bag,” He reached out and pulled his bag closer and put his hand inside and pulled out another hipflask. “I don’t normally drink a lot… but…”

 

Carol opened the bottle and took a swig down, she handed the bottle back to him and he took a mouthful.

 

They were staring at each other and Carol could tell he was hard because she was sitting right on his lap and there was no hiding the fact in the loose pants he was wearing. 

 

“This is a bad idea…” He whispered.

 

“A very bad idea,” she said back as she leaned up into his kiss.

 

************************************


	2. Chapter 2

 

************************************

 

“I’m dying…” She mumbled as the sun was shinning in her eyes, she shifted under her sleeping bag, it was spread out and she was lying on top of another, there was a hand on her arse and she was buried into Daryl’s neck. 

 

She moved her eyes about the old house and she could see out the cracked window that it was no longer raining but it was sunny outside and the birds were singing and her head was thumping like it had a brass band in there.

 

“Your not dying…” His voice mumble. “Go back to sleep!” He squeezed her arse, “Unless you want round four!” He mumbled, he moved his face and kissed the top of her head.

 

“No… I feel like my hoohar been split in half!” She mumbled. Daryl was big and they had gone at it not once but three times over the night that was wrapped up in storm, rum and hot dirty sex. She had been without sex for a while and three times in one night was her limit apparently.

 

“Thankyou? I think!” He laughed. “Is that what you call it.”

 

“We really are shitty parents!” She mumbled. She started smacking her mouth together, “God I need some water!” she looked up at him wondering if he would move and get her a drink, but his eyes were shut and he didn’t look like he was about to move anywhere fast.

 

“There’s a whole pond of it out there.” Daryl finally sat up in the bed they had made, he looked down at her because the sheets had fallen giving him a look at the curve of her back and her butt. “Let's go swimming!”

 

“No…. No… NO!!!” She started squealing as he somehow stood up and picked her up and started carrying her naked outside. The sun was in her eyes and she quickly shut them because it was so bright. She didn’t want to move and she was worried he might still be a little drunk and drop her.

 

“Yes…” He moved quickly until he and her were waist deep in the water and then he dropped her. She went under the water and fell under the water she found her footing and stood up again. 

 

“That was mean!” Carol splashed him, but it was washing off the sweaty sex smell off her skin. She crossed her arms in front of herself to cover her bare breasts, he had left them both exposed to the elements, all they needed now was someone to stumble across them.

 

“But it feels so good right!”

 

She shook her head and began to wash herself, she looked at him and shook her head. “You are mean, my head is pounding, I need to drink at least half the water in here.”

 

Later they were cooking breakfast over the open fire. Both dressed and stealing sneaky looks at each other. They were both drinking the black tea that they had been given in their pack and the dried eggs. Carol didn’t want to leave until she had had plenty of water to drink. She didn’t want to be struggling to get to the next place they could get water if she drank all they were carrying.

 

“How’s the head, you ok with everything that happened?” Daryl asked her. “Us… having… you know.”

 

“I don’t regret it… but I don’t think we should be doing this while we are supposed to be helping the kids.” She said.

 

He laughed.

 

“So are we leaving today?” Carol asked him, drinking another cup of water along side her tea. 

 

“Yeah… or we can stay another night and have fun and take a few short cuts tomorrow.”

 

“What kind of short cuts?”

 

“How good are you at climbing!” Daryl asked her.

 

“Not good!” 

 

“Ok we need to start leaving soon!”  Daryl said. He gave her a long slow glance, “But I think its going to be cold tonight… so we will need to snuggle up!”

 

“Will we now.” Carol laughed and together they packed up all their gear to leave and start walking out to meet their kids.


	3. Chapter 3

 

***************************

 

“I hate you… and I hate you made me do this.” Sophia said to her mother as she drove them both home. It had taken another four days for Carol and Sophia to convince them that Sophia was going to be ok leaving the ranch. Daryl and his charge had left the day before but Sophia’s mouth had landed them a extra night.

 

“Yeah it was a real picnic for me too hiking and walking.” Carol lied. She had swapped phone numbers but not before they had taken a long soapy shower together after they arrived back at the ranch.

 

“You didn’t enjoy any of it?” Sophia asked. “You looked happy, refreshed or something,”

 

“Probably the destress of not having to work everyday at the hospital. ER can be tiring as you know.” Carol lied to her daughter, probably having sex for the past four days had made the time go faster.

 

“Yes…” Sophia looked out the window. “I’m not going to steal again. I promise so grandad doesn’t have to put me in jail again!”

 

“Thats good to hear honey…” Carol just shook her head as she drove the rest of the way home.

 

Later that night Carol looked at her phone and read her text message and she flicked off a quick text of her own.

 

_ Max's going to Merles on Sat night, fancy going out for dinner or a movie or something? _

 

_ Sure, Sophia will be at her dads, Sat sounds great, maybe we can have dinner and watch a movie here. _

 

“Who’s that text from?” Sophia asked looking at her mother.

 

“Michonne… she wants to know if you want to stay with her and dad on Saturday night.” Carol said, she was quickly texting Michonne, Sophia’s step mother to tell her she was working Saturday night in the ER and could they take Sophia early. She had a quick reply that that would be ok. She felt a little guilty about lying but she hadn’t had a wiff of a boyfriend or a fling in years not since she and Ceasar Martinz had a fling four years ago before he went gay for Glenn Rhee. She deserved a little treat and Daryl Dixon was going to be on the menu on Saturday night.

 

******************

 

“Who’s that?” Merle looked across the lounge room at Daryl, it was odd because his brother had a small smile on his face.

 

“Got a date… you need to take Max on Saturday night!”

 

“What… how did you get a date… you can barely talk to woman… who is it?” Merle asked. He thought he knew all the single women in the area.

 

“No one you know… someone from the next town over… thats all you are getting. I don’t know if its serious or not.” Daryl said. Merle just shook his head.

 

“Fine… but I’ll need details.”

 

Daryl tossed a cushion at his brother.  “Dirty prick!”

 

“Ok… just a couple of details.”

 

Max come into the lounge and looked at the brothers. Merle said, “You need to come stay with me Sat night Jacko because Daryl’s getting laid.”

 

“Shut up!” Daryl hissed at his brother. “I’ve got a date thats all… don’t listen to Merle.”

 

“Who is it? That lady you kept looking at on the camp?” Max asked.

 

Daryl blushed and nodded, “I knew it.” Max said. “But…. what happens to me? If you end up with her?”

 

“Nothing happens to you. You stay here with me forever… until you are 18 then if you want to go you can or if you don’t want to you can stay here forever and put me into an old folks home in a few years and take over the business. We told you… if you want to leave school at sixteen you can have an apprenticeship with us and stay with us… no one is kicking you out Max.” Daryl told him.

 

“Daryl’s just going out to get his dick wet!” Merle laughed.

 

“Shut the fuck up Merle… don’t say shit like that in front of Jack!” Daryl threw a book in his brothers direction. “I’m going out for dinner thats it. Nothing else, its early days but you are not going anywhere unless you choose too ok. Now go do your homework and tomorrow I’ll teach you how to do an oil change ok.”

 

Max seemed to be happy with the response but he was so unsure of where he stood sometimes and he knew Daryl just took him on to keep him out of Juvie and he really didn’t want a kid. He was doing him a favour. But what he hadn’t learnt about Daryl in the three weeks Daryl had had him that Daryl meant what he said. He didn’t break promises and the fact he agreed to keep him until he was eighteen and after was something that Jack was still thinking about.

 

Daryl had gone out and brought him a queen bed and dresser, then brought him clothes and anything he didn’t have which was pretty much everything. Max had been passed from person to person for years and really only had a small bag of stuff when Daryl picked him up from the courthouse and the next day they were off on a two week camp for turning kids about. 

 

Daryl glared at Merle shaking his head at his brother to shut the hell up and he needed to keep his nose out of his business.

 

*************************************************


	4. Chapter 4

 

A few days later Daryl had showered and changed three times and shaved. In the end he settled on his favourite jeans and black tee shirt, he grabbed his leather jacket on his way out of the house.

 

Merle had left with Max hours ago not before telling Daryl that he wished his luck and hoped that when this woman saw his mumbling stumbling self that she didn’t back out on the date.

 

He stopped at the video store and picked up the movies that she suggested and soon he pulled up outside Carol’s address. He looked up at the house. Carol’s outside light was on and he was clearly expected. But he just  sat on his bike for a few minutes trying to clear his head to get his A game together before actually going into her home.

 

_ Lets face it, hooking up with her on the camp was a huge fluke, it wasn’t something that he had planned.  He had no game, he didn’t even know how he pulled it all off on the camp. It was something they actually just fell into. _

 

He looked up at the house again and saw she was standing on the porch. She gave him a half wave. She looked unsure herself. She had jeans and a black tee shirt on and bare feet. He gave her a tiny wave and put the stand up on his bike and climbed off and headed up the front steps of her house.

 

“Good evening.” She said quietly. She looked almost shy.

 

“Hi…” Daryl held out the movies for her to take, she stepped back and opened the door wider for him to come inside.

 

He looked about the home, walking straight into her lounge room. It wasn’t a home that had a foyer, but straight into the lounge. He looked about like he didn’t know what to do next. She had a fire going and there was popcorn and a soft couch to sit on. 

 

“Sit where ever you want to. I’ll get some drinks.” Carol looked almost flustered that he felt sorry for her. She was awkward as he felt most of the time.

 

“Carol… come here?” He asked her quietly and she came close, he pulled her into the most awkward hug ever. “How are you?” he asked as he breathed her in. He didn’t want to assume he was allowed to kiss her.

 

“I’m good, Sophia’s been good for a week so thats a bonus.” Carol said, she looked up at him. “Oh fuck it.” She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. She stepped back and looked at him, he took that as a message to say that it was ok to kiss her so he did.

 

Carol put her hands up on his chest and pushed him away slightly. 

 

“Ok… I think we need to sit down and put a movie on before this becomes xrated right here in the lounge.”

 

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to um…” 

 

“Its fine but we should sit… I invited you for a movie and I feel like I’m not a great host.”

 

“So far you have been a great host.” Daryl said glancing right down her body. “Its great.”

 

A hour later they were eating popcorn and watching a movie, with one eye on the movie Daryl asked her, “So you work at the ER? You are a doctor there?”

 

“Sure am… have I come across you sometime?” Carol looked at him trying to figure out if she ever did treat him.

 

“No but my brother does dumb stuff from time to time so we visit a lot.” Daryl said, He was leaning up beside her with his arm around her. They had been looking around the room wondering where the night was going to lead. He didn’t want to assume that it would lead to him staying the night. “Your daughter home tonight?”

 

“Nope, she is spending her night with her dad and other mother.” Carol said. “I kinda lied to them because I said I was working tonight and really I’m on a date with you instead.”

 

“For the whole night?” Daryl asked just checking.

 

“Yeah.. what did you do with your little charge?”

 

“Merle.” 

 

“So… what to do what to do?” Carol glanced up at him.

 

“Dinner because I’m starving and then… I have a few ideas.” Daryl leaned over and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

  
  


“I’m so sorry… I don’t know what got into him.” Daryl was fuming and he had been called by the local police to come pick up Max. 

 

“It might be a misunderstanding… I know most of the police… hopefully I can help.” Carol said. She insisted on going with Daryl because no one really knew what was going on and he looked mad. Mad like he didn’t want to spend another week in the wild with Max.

 

“Thankyou.” Daryl was hoping his Dixon bad temper come out on his first date. What the hell did he know about parenting. What had gone through his brain. Now he was going to end up at court or something instead of spending a night in bed with the foxy woman driving the car.

 

They pulled up outside the police station and both of them went in together. Carol saw Rick behind the counter. It wasn’t something that she planed because she lied to him to get them to have Sophia over night but instead she was walking into the station with Daryl.

 

“Hi, I’m here about Max?” Daryl greeted him not knowing he was Carol’s ex, but he did notice the police officer look from him to Carol.

 

“Daryl’s… um… look, we were on a date. I lied ok… because I didn’t want anyone to know… because its the first date. So don’t make a big deal about it will you.” Carol blurted, Daryl just stared at her down playing their friendship. “Daryl… this is… um… Sophia’s father. My ex husband. Rick.”

 

Daryl figured it out pretty quickly why Carol didn’t say anything. Rick called over the other police officer to meet Daryl. And then they all stared at each other awkwardly. 

 

“Um Max?” Daryl said after a few awkward moments. “What happened.”

 

“Well there was a bunch of kids fighting outside the diary and he was there. I don’t think he was involved but he was involved as he punched someone. I’ll let him tell you. We are not booking him because he was helping out a kid smaller than him but we had to make it look like it for all the other kids there.”

 

They took Daryl around the back to pick up his charge. Max had his head in his hands and was looking scared like he was about to be taken off to the boys home. He looked up when he saw Daryl looking scared.

 

“Its ok, you are coming home with me and we don’t have to do boot camp again.” 

 

“Good… I didn’t… I mean.”

 

“Save it. Where the hell is Merle?” Daryl asked him.

 

“I asked if I could walk to the store. He was watching a movie and he probably asleep on the couch by now.” Max said, Daryl nodded and knew his brother probably was out to the count for the night. “I’m really sorry I ruined your date.”

 

“Its ok… I can go out with Carol another time. She’s here… funny story… thats her ex husband and Sophia’s dad.”

 

“Ok… we need to get out of here now.” Max stood up and wanted out of the room.

 

“Why?” Daryl asked slowly.

 

“Because… because… I might of… um… fooled around with Sophia…” Max whispered. “You need to get me out of here. He’s going to kill me.”

 

“You what?” Daryl whispered back in a shocked tone. He was shocked and he didn’t know how they were going to keep that a secret. At least until they moved Max away from the men with the guns. 

 

“I had sex with Sophia on the boot camp… don’t worry I used a condom.” He whispered.

 

“Are you kidding me right now?” Daryl run his hands over his head. “Its a joke.”

 

“No.”

 

“Ok… we need to get out of here now.” Daryl hissed at him. 

 

They walked out to the main reception area. Carol was talking with Rick and Shane the other police officer on duty. Daryl nodded to Carol. 

 

“We ready to go?” Daryl asked Carol as she was his ride.

 

She nodded, Daryl gave his thanks to the officers and grabbed Max by the shoulder and gave him a gentle shove towards the main door to leave.

 

Carol followed them out and unlocked the car. Max climbed into the back. She looked across the roof of the car at Daryl.

 

“Would it be ok, if we put the date on hold and you dropped us off home? I’ll come by tomorrow to pick up my bike?” He asked her, he knew that the date had gone sideways and it would be impossible to think of anything except what Max told him until he felt better about what Max told him.

 

“Its ok… I understand. Rain check.” Carol nodded. She drove them to his home. Max text Merle to say he was with Daryl and when they pulled up outside Daryl’s house he leaped out of the car saying goodbye to Carol and raced up the front path. Daryl stayed sitting in the car. He turned and faced Carol.

 

“I’m really sorry about this. I …”

 

“Its ok. You want to do something during the week?” Carol asked him. She had a feeling that he might bounce or think that it was going to be too hard.

 

“Sounds good. Can I call you?” Daryl asked her. She nodded, he leaned over in the car kissing her firmly on the mouth. “I’m pretty new to to this parenting gig.”

 

“I understand. It's tough being a single parent. But things will work out… when they go to college or get their first full time job.” Carol laughed. “So we will figure this out as we go along ok.” She lean over kissed him she put her hand on his leg as she kissed him.

 

“I hope we get a reprieve before then. That's two years away.” Daryl mumbled as he was getting out of the car. “I’ll call you.”

 

“You better,” She said as she started her car and drove off towards home. 


	6. Chapter 6

 

Carol looked at her phone again, it had been nearly a week and it was Saturday and she hadn’t heard from Daryl since she left him outside his house last weekend with Max.

 

_ You could just ring or text him? _ A text came through from Michonne. She didn’t know why she confided in Michonne but Rick had gone home and told her what had happened.

 

_ I don’t know. Maybe _

 

_ Carol at least you will know. _

 

_ How embarrassing. Like I’m a stalker. _

 

_ Well take the bull by the horns, he might be embarrassed that you had to pick up his kid from jail. _

 

_ He wasn’t in jail. _

 

_ Well at least it wasn’t ours again. _

 

Carol stared at her phone for a bit longer and then decided that she could sit alone all day and wonder why he hadn’t called when he said he would or she could just call him or text him. 

 

She scrolled through her contacts and hit the call button before she could question what she was doing.

 

_ Hello, _

 

_ Its Carol…. _

 

_ I know, I saw your number…. Sorry I haven’t called… um… _

 

_ Are you ghosting me? Just be honest, at least I will know. _

 

_ No… its nothing like that. I just got some news that made me uncomfortable… I didn’t know what to do with it. Can I see you. Meet up for a coffee. _

 

_ Sure. Half an hour, at the Saxon cafe? _

 

_ I will be there. _

 

Daryl stared at his phone, he didn’t know why he asked her out for a coffee when he knew seeing her he would probably blurt out what Max had told her. He knew he probably would blab. Max was at basketball until five and he had the afternoon to try avoid the subject that he had slept with Carol's daughter.

 

_ I did it I’m meeting him for a coffee. I’ll let you know what happened. _

 

Carol sent off a text to Michonne while she quickly raced through the shower. She then stared at her wardrobe before pulling on a sun dress and a denim jacket over top of it she pulled on strappy flat sandals to complete her look. She threw some makeup at her face and headed out down the stairs to go have coffee with Carol.

 

Across town Daryl was in a panic running around with a towel around his waist trying to find clean clothes to  wear. He pulled on clean jeans and teeshirt, his boots, he threw a load of washing in the washing machine, then headed out to his bike.

 

He really hoped he could have a conversation with Carol that didn’t get out of hand and make both of them end up in a argument of sorts. 


	7. Chapter 7

 

Daryl was already sitting at the cafe spinning a coin while drinking a cup of coffee waiting for Carol. She walked in, he stood, walked towards her, kissed her check and guided her back to the table. All the beginnings of a normal date. Except he was sweaty, there was sweat pulling around his forehead and it looked like his shirt was starting to stick to his body.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, he had started sweating since he hung up the phone from Carol. He put deodorant on. But it wouldn't stop. He considered running to a nearby store when he saw Carol coming in

“Are you sick?” Carol asked him taking his body in.

 

“Nervous!” He grabbed a bunch of sevettes and started mopping his brow. “I gotta tell you something.”

 

He wiped his forehead again. He looked at her and then down at the ground then back at her again, he let out a big sigh. “Can I buy your drink? What do you want?” He lifted his arm to wave down a waitress and Carol could see the sweat stain down the side of his body. He realized his problem and dropped his arm knocking his coffee all over the table and over the floor. 

 

“God I’m sorry. Look do you want to get out of here? Go for a walk or something?” Daryl asked her. 

 

She was kinda shocked that he was so nervous and sweating and all the other things that were going wrong with him right that moment. She really couldn’t wait to hear what Daryl actually had to tell her.

 

She followed him out of the cafe and trailed along beside him for two blocks before she grabbed him by the arm and made him turn and face her. 

 

“What is the actual problem?” Carol asked him, he looked everywhere but at her. “I know it's something. Tell me what it is and hopefully you will stop sweating.”

 

“I didn’t call because Max slepted with Sophia on the camp and I didn’t know how to tell ya or face ya!” He blurted out. 

 

Carol just stood there with her mouth opening and shutting staring at him. “He did what? She did what?.. They what?”

 

Daryl just stood there nodding, finally his sweating stopped. Carol’s jaw dropped and she went pale. 

 

“I really am the shittiest parent… omg when? How?... I’m going to kill them both!” Carol said in a quiet voice. “We can’t let Rick know… we need to… I don’t know… what do we need to do?”

 

“I don’t know… your a mom… I’ve only had custody for four weeks…”

 

“I don’t know… I need to talk to Sophia.” Carol put her hand in her pocket and pulled out her car keys and started walking away. Daryl was left standing there watching her leave not knowing if she was going to hear from Carol ever again. 


	8. Chapter 8

(((((((((((((((((

  
  


“Michonne, you don’t understand…. There was literally water pouring off his head. Down his arms and everywhere.” Carol told Michonne. She didn’t know if she should be confiding in her ex’s new wife but Michonne and her had been friends for a long time. Michonne was holding back a laugh, only because Carol hadn’t told her yet why he was sweating. “Stop laughing, I need to tell you the rest.”

 

“I’m not laughing.” Michonne took a drink from her cup, she was sitting across from Carol and had been pumping her for what was going on. Rick had told her Carol had been on a date, and Michonne wanted details.

 

“Well, you have to promise not to tell Rick… not until I talked to Sophia. I will tell him. But… I need to talk with Sophia.” Carol said.

 

“This doesn’t sound good.”

 

“Its not,” Carol took a breath. “So… I met Daryl at the boot camp. He was there with his foster son and… anyway, according to Max, he told Daryl that he and Sophia had sex.” Carol watched Michonnes face. Her face fell. “And Daryl told me… thats why he was sweating he didn’t want me to not know and he knew.”

 

“Hang on… they had sex on this boot camp. How was that even possible. How were they not even being supervised.”

 

“I don’t know the details but this is just what Daryl told me. Yesterday. I will talk with Sophia about it later this afternoon after school. He also told Daryl he used something so hopefully there won’t be any surprises from this.”

 

“I don’t know what to say!” Michonne finally said. “You can definitely tell Rick this one. I would suggest you tell Daryl to put that boy into witness protection or something.”

 

“Be serious… he was having sex at the same age.” Carol said, she just blushed and shook her head at Michonne. “Do you think I should take her to go on the pill or something. What if she’s seeing this boy? Why… why do I have to deal with this. I just wanted to go a date… one date… without any issues now he probably to scared to call me again.”

 

“I don’t know, maybe talk to Sophia, then we will figure out if its something we even need to tell Rick. I mean… I never told my dad when I had sex. Its not really something Sophia would want him to know right.”

 

“Well I certainly didn’t tell him for a couple of years… until we fell pregnant with Sophia, until then he thought I was very innocent.”

 

“Uhuh… right now tell me more about this man… like where did you meet him…” Michonne looked at Carol and she blushed. “You didn’t!?”

 

“What? No… I just met him there and thought he was nice… and we talked, swapped numbers and then we were having dinner and … well you know what happened then.”

 

Michonne looked at Carol with a look that was  _ I don’t believe a word you are saying. _

 

Carol was sitting at the kitchen table looking at her phone wondering if she should just text Daryl when Sophia arrived home from school. She called out to her to come sit down that she wanted to talk to her about what happened when they went to boot camp with Max. Sophia blushed bright red and started crying when she realized that somehow her mother knew what she had done. 

 

“Look I just want to know… if its going to happen again you need to go on the pill. Did you know this boy before you went on boot camp?” Carol asked her, Sophia gave a slow nod. “Does he go to school with you?”

 

“Yes, we been seeing each other, he’s kinda like my boyfriend and when they sent us out on our own we headed towards each other and worked together to get back to camp. We cheated.”

 

Carol let out a sigh. Yeah… great. Sophia had a boyfriend and it just happened to be Daryl’s foster kid and they were going to have to back off. She sat there for a moment and listened to her teenage daughter going up stairs. Then something clicked.

 

“SOPHIA!...... get back down here NOW!”

 

Sophia came back down the stairs quietly and looked at her mother innocently. “Yes Mommy?”

 

“Did you plan this? You and that boy after he got into trouble… you knew Granddad would send you on boot camp and he would be there?”

 

“No Mommy,” She gave her the big blue eyes Rick used to give her after an argument.

 

“You mean I had to take a week off work and tramp around in the bushes and I didn’t need too!” Carol was about to rage. “Give me your phone now. And while you are at it… get the screwdriver out of the drawer over there and get to work taking your bedroom door off!”

 

“You can’t take my phone or my door!” Sophia yelled. “I’m going to tell Dad!”

 

“Go ahead… phone now!” Carol held her hand out and Sophia put the phone in her mother's hand. “Take the password off for good thanks.”

 

Sophia took the password off and stomped off to ring her father to complain. She didn’t really think it through when he said he would come over after work and talk to her mother about it. 


	9. Chapter 9

  
“You can’t really take her phone and door Carol.” Rick tired to tell Carol. They had been arguing back and forward for a few minutes and Sophia was yet to come downstairs and tell her dad why she was having things removed from her.

“I can and I did. Look Rick I don’t tell you how to run your home and I’d really like it if you didn’t come here and tell me how to run mine.” Carol sat at the table again. She was getting really annoyed with Rick’s view and she had a sense he thought he was a better parent than her.

“I’m just wondering if she’s going off the rails because you are working so much?” Rick said quietly.

It took all Carol’s strenght not to lean across the table and slap him.

“And all the hours you have worked her whole life are not affecting her.”

“Well… you used to be home more.”

“I used to be in medical school. It took me longer to get through because I was looking after her and studying. Thats not fair! You can’t say your work is more important than mine. I think its time for you to go.” Carol stood up and opened the kitchen door for him to leave. It was the first time she was so mad at him that she showed him the door.

Rick stayed sitting.

“I didn’t really mean it like that.” he said. “I have some time… leave owing. I’ll take some and be at home more… maybe it would be better for Sophia to come stay with us full time for a while while you have some time.”

“You want to take Sophia off me?”

“No… just we will swap for a month, she’ll stay with us and then come to you when you are off work and every other weekend. Like she does me.”

Carol was so mad right now. But in reality it was time for Rick to see how innocent his daughter was when he would be caring for her full time and he could run around after her for a month and she could take some time just to relax.

“Fine. Sophia… come down here your dad wants to tell you something.” Carol called up the stairs.

Rick quickly told Sophia she was coming to stay with him for abit and to go grab anything that she really wanted to take with her. Anything else he could come get if she really needed it. Carol watched her daughters smug little face as she squealed and run about grabbing her belongings to go with her dad. She took her phone and raced out to her dads car.

“Just for a little while.” Rick said.

“Sure.” Carol watched as he started going down the porch steps, then she called out, “Oh Rick… just so you know… I took her phone and door because she lied, and she stole from the store to get into trouble so she would get sent on boot camp so she could have some alone time with her boyfriend. Thats right she has a boyfriend now… and they had sex… and she’s probably going to climb out her bedroom window because you live about two blocks from Max’s home now. So…” Carol drew breath. “Have a good time.”

Rick stood there staring at her. “What?”

“Have a nice drive home…” Carol shut the door and went inside, picked up her phone and found the phone number she was looking for. She hit the text button.

  
Home alone… wanna come play


	10. Chapter 10

 

Carol’s phone started ringing and it was Daryl calling. 

 

“I can’t… Max… look I don’t think I can leave him alone right now. We trying to get him back on track but… I think if I go out he’s going to go out if you know what I mean.” Daryl’s voice come over the phone in a rush. “But I wanna see you. You wanna come over here?”

 

“To your place. Ok… sure,” Carol wasn’t too sure, being in her own home made her feel safer, “Ok. You want me to bring dinner or something?”

 

“Nah… I have got it already started here. But just bring yourself. You wanna stay over or…” He asked, in his head he was wondering if he had enough time to change his sheets and to take a shower.

 

“Maybe, can I decide when I get there?” 

 

“No problem… whatever you want.” Daryl said softly, “You don’t gotta do nothing you don’t want to.”

 

“Ok, see you in a bit.” Carol said.

 

Dammit Carol thought. She didn’t really want to go to his house with his kid there. What she had planned wouldn’t happen with a teen in the house. Unless… maybe she needed to pick him up some headphones and a video game or something. Carol laughed to herself as she tossed herself together a overnight bag and then went and took a shower, taking the time to shave her legs and to wash her hair.

 

An hour later she pulled up outside Daryl’s home and was walking up the path. It looked different in the daylight. Older than her house but still nice. She knocked on the door and Daryl opened it. He saw the big bag over her shoulder and he smiled.

 

“Don’t get too excited.” she told him, he gave her a hug, “its not a sure thing.”

 

“Uhuh.” He said. He kissed her cheek and opened the door for her to enter his home. The first thing that hit her was the smell. It was definitely a male home. Someone had been spraying around aftershave or deodorant or a combination.

 

“Sorry about the smell, I brought Max some deodorants and he decided to wear them all at the same time.” Daryl said. “I opened the doors and windows but its not really helping.”

 

Carol looked around. It was clean and tidy, and it actually looked way better in the inside than the outside. 

 

“You like it? I’ve been doing it up. You are lucky, I just finished the bathroom and at least we have a inside working bathroom.” He gave her a wink and she didn’t know if he was joking or not. “No seriously, I had a porta potty outside the back for about a month. But all systems are go. Come see.”

 

He took her bag and grabbed her hand and dragged her through the lounge and past the open plan kitchen lounge and dining room down a hallway and flung open a door.

 

It was beautiful. Carol mouth actually opened wide. It was all dark charcoal grey tiles on the floor and there was a half wall. As she looked around it there was a waterfall shower with a sprinkler shower head. There was a huge stand alone bath tub, a beautiful his and hers sink and through another little door was a toilet, the toilet had a door into the bathroom and another door that went into a huge bedroom with a massive bed.

 

“Its my esuite. Do you like it. Toilet even flushes, see.” He flushed the toilet and Carol laughed. She followed him into another bedroom. Carol nodded seeing that he dropped her bag on the massive bed.

 

“I love it.” she looked around and she really meant it.

 

“Can I?” Daryl gestured to her personal space and she knew he wanted to kiss her, she nodded and he stepped in and swooped in to kiss her. She leaned into him and felt a tingly feeling in her arms and legs, she pulled back and looked at him.

 

“Its a really nice place.” She looked into his eyes and they both smelt it and then heard it. 

 

“Shit,” Daryl ran through the house to the kitchen to see what he was burning while he was distracted.


	11. Chapter 11

  
  


He burnt the kitchen down. By the time they got to the kitchen the wall behind the cooker was on fire and Carol wouldn’t let him try put it out because the flames were licking at the roof. The fire department came quickly to put out the fire, but by that stage the whole kitchen had been licked by flames and every surface was black with soot.

 

“We could just order pizza?” Max suggested, he was watching Daryl try scrub the blacken chilli off the bottom of the pot he had been cooking it in. Daryl didn’t know why he was trying to clean it but it was something to do with his hands and he was just standing there in disbelief that he’d been so busy thinking about his dick that he burnt his kitchen down. “Maybe you should of been keeping an eye on it instead of being in your room?”

 

“Maybe you need to go… before I really lose my shit alright!” Daryl glared at the boy. He was so embarrassed. Carol was at the door opening and closing it trying to get the smoke out of the kitchen.

 

“Boys… Maybe I should go?” Carol said looking at Daryl. “Let you sort this out. Sort Max out. This mess, the insurance guy coming soon right?”

 

“No its ok… I mean the water damage going to take a few days to dry out. Merle and I can fix the wall.” Daryl said. He looked around the kitchen he had lovingly restored and it was a blackened mess. The fire department had just left. He wanted to yell and throw the pots everywhere.

 

“Pack a bag up Max, you can go sleep at Merles, its going to take a few days for the house to air out. The smoke to go.” Daryl said sighing. He knew there was no way they could stay here tonight.

 

“I’ll head out, unless you want me to stay?” Carol asked him.

 

“I’m really sorry, I’m…” Daryl looked around lost for words, “I wanted tonight to be fun!”

 

“It was fun, I’ve never seen a the fire department in actual action before, I normally just treat them at the ER.” Carol said. “You sure know how to show a girl a good time.” She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Rain check… and if Merle doesn’t have enough beds…”

 

Daryl looked almost hopeful that she was inviting him over. 

 

“I’m sure one of your friends would take you in.” Carol said with a laugh. He gave her a mocked shocked look. “Here.”

 

She unhooked a key from her car keys. “This is for the side door, the kitchen. Come over and stay even if its late. Text me before you come in the door though so I don’t get a fright.”

 

Daryl nodded and took the key from her and gave her a quick kiss.

 

“Gross!” Max come into the room. “You guys are gross…”

 

“Max… stop it.” Daryl said. “Ok, see you later,” He said to Carol. She gave them both a wave and headed out to her car.

 

“I can’t believe you burnt the kitchen down and you still going to get laid!” Max said.

 

“Max… thats disgusting, don’t talk like that.”

 

“Why Merle does.”

 

“Merle isn’t a good role model.”

 

“Then why are you sending me over there so you can go knock boots with Sophia’s mommy?” Max asked in a mock innocent voice.

 

“Shut up.” Daryl growled at him and went to ring his brother to tell him he was getting a house guest.


	12. Chapter 12

*

 

He text Carol to say he was on his way, he had a bunch of clothes that possibly would need to go in the wash because of the smell of smoke. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face at the thought of mucking up so bad that he nearly burnt his house down.

 

He opened the side door at Carol’s place and stepped inside. He walked right into the laundry, he dumped his clothes right on top of the washing machine and looked through the open door into the kitchen.

 

He saw Carol sitting at the kitchen table with a hot drink in her hand. He gave her an embarrassed smile.

 

“I’m really sorry.” He started to say.

 

“Its fine, is that washing, just throw it in.” She suggested. He pulled out his clothes out of the bag and started to toss them in her machine. “Take those off too, you still smell like smoke. Theres a towel you can wrap around yourself, then go shower.”

 

Was she suggesting that he got naked in the laundry? He thought. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself and removed his pants and underwear. She was watching him.

 

“I didn’t take you for the modest type.” Carol teased him. He blushed again. “Do you need anything? A drink?”

 

He shook his head, put powder in the machine then followed her upstairs to find the bathroom to take a shower. She took him into her bedroom and pointed to the ensuite to take a shower. She turned the shower on and adjusted the temperature.

 

They were standing really close to each other and Daryl moved his hand and placed it on her hip as she turned around to face him to say something. 

 

“Thanks for letting me stay.” He said quietly.

 

“No problem, I’m going to put you to work,” She said with a sly smile. She started to take off her shirt, “Enough of this foreplay, lets set this place on fire…” She sang the last few notes.

 

“STOP!” Daryl shook his head. “It was an accident.”

 

“Was it? Are you sure…”

 

“Stop.”

 

Carol pulled her clothes off and tugged his towel and pulled him into the shower where they spent a few moments kissing and touching each other. Daryl still smelt really bad of smoke. Carol had already taken a shower. Both of them remembered the night they spent out camping drinking together, only this time they were not drunk, they both really liked each other. 


End file.
